What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, a flight departed from Marl-Lohmühle Airfield under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), destined for Arnsberg-Menden Airfield. The aircraft was operated with a pilot and two passengers on board. After climbing to 2,200 ft AMSL, the pilot communicated with Dortmund Tower to request passage through the Dortmund Airport control zone via the WHISKEY and ECHO reporting points. The controller granted clearance to proceed through the zone toward the south.
Radar and GPS tracking indicated that the aircraft performed a tight turn to a heading of 120° at approximately 15:56 hrs. After exiting the control zone, the pilot was cleared to depart the tower frequency. At roughly 16:00 hrs, while approximately 2.5 NM west of the destination, the aircraft turned east. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft intersected the extended centerline of runway 23 at a distance of 0.7 NM from the threshold, traveling at a ground speed of about 150 kt.
As the aircraft transitioned to the final approach for runway 23, it reached the extended centerline at an altitude of approximately 1,500 ft AMSL. The aerodrome information service provider noted that the landing gear and flaps had been extended and the approach initially appeared normal. However, after a brief period of diverted attention, the observer noticed the aircraft exhibit a large upward pitch angle before it plunged and disappeared from view. The aircraft impacted the ground, leaving the 3 occupants with severe injuries.
Findings
- The aircraft was observed to have a large upward pitch angle immediately before plunging into the ground.